mangrove restoration & livelihood support in mozambique

Mangrove Restoration & Livelihood Support in Mozambique [Limpopo River Estuary]

Mangrove Restoration and Livelihood Support through Community Participation in Limpopo River Estuary

Project partners

The Sustainable Development Centre for the Coastal zones is a national public institution with

administrative autonomy under the Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA). Its

national head office is located in Xai-Xai and its activities extend throughout the country. It was established

by Decree Law No. 05/2003 of 18/02/2003, Bulletin of the Republic No. 7, 1st Series, 2nd Supplement.

The duties of the Centre are to:

Promote integrated planning;

Promote and assist the monitoring of the status of the biodiversity, use and conservation of the natural

resources and biodiversity in the coastal zones including the development of a database;

Promote and implement together with other relevant entities, experimental and demonstration

activities within the scope of integrated and sustainable management and protection of the

environment of the coastal zones;

Assist in the development of awareness programmes;

Strengthen the power of the communities with regard to the protection of the environment and the

natural resources of the coastal zones;

Provide technical assistance on environmental issues in the coastal zones;

Support training programmes in the environmental area; and

Collect, copile and disseminate technical and scientific information relevant to the coastal zones.

República de Moçambique

Minestério da Terra, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Rural

Centro de Desenvoivimento Sustentvel as Zonas Costeiras

1| Mangrove Restoration & Livelihood Support in Mozambique

Mangrove Restoration and Livelihood Support through Community Participationin Limpopo River Estuary |1

Introduction

The mangrove forest of the

Limpopo Estuary is a unique

mangrove formation in the Gaza

Province, Mozambique with an

estimated area of about 900ha,

before the 2000 floods.

The forest was of immense value to

the surrounding communities,

ensuring security of lives and

livelihoods. During the last decade

the extent of the mangroves has

diminished substantially due to

overexploitation and excessive

siltation caused by heavy flooding

during the year 2000. Consequently,

large areas of mangroves have died

or been depleted, leading to a

reduction in the mangrove ecosystem

nursery function and thereby a

reduction in fish production

and biodiversity.

These, in turn, led to a reduction in

the means of living and in family

income for the population living in

the Limpopo Estuary, in particular to

the community of Mahielene.

Mangrove Restoration & Livelihood Support in Mozambique |2

2| Mangrove Restoration and Livelihood Support through Community Participation in Limpopo River Estuary

Project Purpose

The overall project goal was to contribute to increased

resilience of the mangrove-livelihoods ‘socio-ecological system’

in the Limpopo estuary (Mahielene and Zongoene Sede

communities) through healthy mangrove ecosystems where

biodiversity and hydrological processes are restored and

maintained so as to provide natural resources and ecosystem

services that sustain local people.

Specific objectives are related to improved governance arrangements, participatory mangrove restoration,

capacity-development and the sharing of lessons.



Activities

A Natural Resource Management Committee was established in

each of the communities, Mahielene and Zongoene Sede

Community empowerment in environmental legislation (land law, environmental law, forest law, water law, conservation law) and gender, diversity and climate change

Delimitation of Mahielene and Zongoene Sede Communities for natural resources management

Restoration of hydrological system for community-based mangrove ecological restoration (CBEMR)

Maintenance of the community mangrove nursery

Mangrove plantation campaign

Training workshops for teachers and implementation of six lesson plans into the curriculum relating to the mangrove ecosystems in the area’s pedagogical influence

Environmental awareness campaigns in community villages

Monitoring of plantation sites

Presentation at the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association's 11th Scientific Symposium and participation in training events


Results

NO. EVENT NUMBER OF WOMEN

NUMBER OF MEN

TOTAL

1 Official launch ceremony 349 62 411

2 Restore hydrological system for community-based mangrove ecological restoration (CBEMR)

102 22 124

3 Constitution of the NRMC 139 11 150

4 Community empowerment in environmental legislation (land law, environmental law, forest law, water law, conservation law) and gender, diversity and climate change

37 38 75

5 Training workshop for teacher regarding the lessons plans 57 36 93

684 169 853

The mangrove planting campaigns began in September 2019. To date, about 70 local community members

have participated in planting campaigns and about 200 students from local schools; 5 000 mangrove seedlings

have been planted so far over an area of 2 hectares.

Six different lesson plans

were supplied during the

teacher training workshops

for integration into the

local schools’ curriculum.



Recommendations

•Identification of alternative sources of economic and food security for the local communities to reduce pressure on fisheries and other natural resources

Recommendation 1

•Ongoing support to the natural resource management committees to achieve sustainability in the medium to long term

Recommendation 2

•Regular monitoring and maintenance of the hydrological channels and use of locally available datasheets for future channel excavations

Recommendation 3

•Continuous monitoring of the integration of the mangrove ecosystem into the local curriculum and images of different mangrove species should be provided to teachers to assist in the classroom

Recommendation 4

•Seed and propagation of multiple mangrove species should be strengthened

Recommendation 5

•Sharing of experiences of the community-based mangrove restoration project in the Limpopo estuary through exchange visits, conference presentations and participation in training workshops

Recommendation 6

mangrove restoration & livelihood support in mozambique

Documents